Home Is Where The Heart Is
by americanhoney139
Summary: Mama said "Home is where the heart is" when Tori left town. She only gets as far as the Mason-Dixon line before her car breaks down. She didn't expect to become a waitress at Rex's Diner. She expected to make enough money and continue her life. But then her eyes met blue. Tori Vega could feel those dreams inside shifting gears. Because love brought her to Mason, WV. AU First Jori!


Home Is Where the Heart Is

_I felt I was spinning my wheels_

_Before too long the road was calling_

"Goodbye, Mama," Tori Vega stood in front of her green Jeep with a huge smile on her face. At eighteen, she was a stunning woman: silky chestnut brown hair that hung to around mid-back, milk chocolate brown eyes that were always filled with light, and a big heart that never stopped caring for others.

"I'm gonna miss you, baby," Holly Vega pulled her daughter into a tight hug and Tori clung to her. No tears fell, but there was an empty sadness inside both of them.

The older woman was a single mother who never stopped caring about others as well. Like mother, like daughter. As an only child, Tori and her mother were extremely close; they worked side by side at the local orphanage and **helped** out in soup kitchens when Holly wasn't busy working at the Children's Hospital in the next town over.

_I packed everything I own_

_So sure that I was leaving_

_This small town life behind for good_

_And not a single tear was falling_

"I need to do this, Mama," Tori whispered as she pulled away.

Holly nodded and kissed her forehead. "Before you hit the highway, you better stop for gas. There's a $50 in the ashtray in case you run short on cash," she told her. Handing her a folded up, crumpled yet thick paper and a book, Holly said, "Here's a map and here's a Bible if you ever lose your way…" Tori nodded and sniffled, wiping at the place below her eyes so she wouldn't cry.

After having her license for two years and wanting to get out of the small town, but sad to leave her mom behind, Tori was finally leaving. The older Vega just wiped a tear from her own eye and waved goodbye as her daughter climbed into the car after one more kiss on the forehead. "Don't forget to remember me…" the older woman whispered. Tori nodded and shot her mom a sad look but her eyes still shown with excitement as the car left a dust trail driving away.

Holly cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Call me when you can!" A thumbs-up came from the window as Tori drove away, her eyes sparkling as she drove out of her small town and, for the first time, she wasn't coming back.

_It took leaving for me to understand_

_Sometimes your dreams_

_Just aren't what life has planned_

She made it past Pennsylvania, drove through Maryland and stopped at historical sites when they interested her enough. Motels along the way weren't the best, but she wanted to save most of her money for gas and rations.

She was planning to make it to the East Coast, maybe settle down in Florida with a good job. Maybe raise a family if she was lucky enough. Trees flashed by outside the window and Tori switched on the radio. An old song, On My Way by Phil Collins, filled the speakers and the brunette beamed. She began to sing along with the music as she lost track of time.

_Mama said, "Home is where the heart is"_

_When I left that town_

_(Flashback)_

_"Tori," Holly called from downstairs. The young Vega was upstairs packing her large suitcase and listening to mixed CDs she had made for the car. "Tori, can I talk to you for a minute?" The brunette pressed stop the stereo and walked down the stairs, dragging her large bag with her._

_"I'm just gonna put this in the car, Mama," she smiled at her mother. The older woman rolled her eyes and watched as her daughter, who was not the physically strongest person in the world, struggled to heft the bag into the truck of the dirt covered Jeep. 'I _really_ should have cleaned it before I leave,' Tori thought with a small smile._

_"Do you need help?" Holly asked as she leaned against the door with a smile on her face. Her daughter, always the stubborn headstrong donkey that she ever was as a child, shook her head and bit her lip as she finally got the bag into the trunk. Holly watched as Tori did a little happy dance behind the truck and laughed loudly when the girl slipped on a fallen bra and landed on her butt._

_"Mom!" Tori flushed, opening the trunk to shove the bra back into the bag. "It's not funny!"_

_"It wouldn't be funny for anyone but you," Holly chuckled and the young brunette pouted. "Come on, I made your favorite."_

_Tori's eyes sparkled. "Mac & Cheese?" At her mother's nod, she squealed and ran inside, the older Vega following her._

_"It's your last night, Tor," Holly said softly, still not believing her baby wanted to drive across the country and down the coast, away from home. "I just wanted to make it special." Tori nodded, her eyes watering but no tears falling. She hadn't cried since the day her father walked out of her life when she was five._

_"Mom, I'm doing this for me," Tori told her mom as she took a heaping of the gooey food and put it on her plate before continuing. "I wanna go find something…" her eyes filled with confusion, "I don't know what I'm trying to find, but I know it's not here. It's out there." She pointed with her fork out the window._

_Holly nodded. "I know sweetie, I know." She covered Tori's hand that was lying on the table with her own hand, rubbing the top softly with her thumb. "But remember… home is where the heart is."_

_"Mom, don't go all philosophical on me now," Tori rolled her eyes, not really understanding the sentence._

_"I'm serious, Tor," Holly shot her daughter a serious look. "It doesn't matter where you settle, or what job you get. What matters is that your heart is happy… that you know the person you'll find is where you wanna be."_

_"Mom, I'm eighteen," Tori stated. "I'm not looking for that stuff yet. I'm just looking for a good job and a nice house."_

_"You'd be surprised, Tori."_

_(End Flashback)_

_I made it all the way to West Virginia_

_And that's where my heart found_

_Exactly where I'm supposed to be_

_It didn't take much time_

"Welcome to West Virginia," Tori read the sign and smiled to herself. Just one state closer to her new life! She continued to drive along the interstate highway with Coldplay's Fix You in the background. The road in front of her and behind her was empty, allowing her to sing as loud as she wanted.

Suddenly, the old car sputtered and slid to a halt, slipping onto the gravel of the shoulder. "No, no, no!" Tori cried, honking the horn angrily as her car died. Coldplay shut off in the middle of the bridge and she felt like crying. But she wouldn't do it because she was stronger than that.

She stepped out of the car and walked over to the front, popping the hood and examining the engine. She was about to go back for a flashlight when headlights almost blinded her, coming slowly around the bend. "Do you need help?" a smooth voice came from the front window. A guy about a year older than Tori herself was looking at her vehicle from out the window of his red Ford pickup truck.

She looked up and hesitantly nodded, not sure if she should trust him or not. "Um, sure," she said after he didn't do anything and then she realized it was too dark to see when his headlights weren't in front of her. Hopping out of the car, the guy came over with a flashlight in hand as he examined both her and the car.

"Nice car," he smiled at her, his eyes kind in the soft light of the flashlight. "Do you need jumpers, or is it gas?"

"Um… I'm o-out of gas," she stuttered, the cold wind brushing over her naked shoulders. She was dressed in a tank top and capris. When the guy saw her shiver, he got a jacket out of the passenger seat of his car.

"Here," he wrapped the leather material around her and the soft inside made her smile. "It's my best friends." She nodded and whispered a thank you before both turned back to the car. "I think I should drive you to the motel and then come back for the car with the tow truck. Is that okay with you?"

"Actually, do you have a d-diner or something?" she asked. "I'm kinda h-hungry." He chuckled.

"Yeah, Rex's Diner is just down the road," he nodded and held the passenger door for her as she slid in. "I'm friends with the owners, so they'll serve you quickly."

"T-thanks," she beamed at him. "I'm Tori, by the way, Tori Vega." She held out her hand for him to shake before he started the car.

"Oh, I'm Beck Oliver," he laughed again. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself in the first place." She chuckled. "You must've been pretty sketched out."

She nodded as the car roared to life. "I'll admit, I thought you might have been a crazy, but you're not that bad." Beck put a hand over his heart, offended. "Okay, you're not bad at all." He nodded and Tori's eyes widened as they entered a small single stoplight town, and the one stoplight they had was switching from green to yellow with no red.

Beck saw the confusion on her face and nodded. "Yeah, that happened a few days ago and we can't do anything about it until Sinjin comes back from a family vacation. He's like the town technician." She smiled at him.

"Wow, this town is that small?" she asked, wonder in her voice. Her community was small, but not this small. So she said just that. "And I thought my town was small…"

"Yeah, you don't really get any smaller than this," Beck chuckled as he parked the car outside of a small window. A sign was flashing with the name of the Diner, Rex's Diner, and a small orange cat between the words in neon. "Here's your stop. It was nice meeting you Tori. I hope I'll see you around." He waved to her as he drove away to get her car.

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

Tori walked into the Diner and fished around in her pocket for the last few bucks she had. "One coke please," she asked the waitress at the counter. Her hair was a vibrant red and her smile was wide as she began to fill a clean glass with the bubbly brown liquid.

"That was Beck, wasn't it?" she asked, her smile turning into a smirk. Tori nodded, not understanding the smirk but it had been him.

"Yeah, he saw me on the side of the road with my car. Not enough gas," she admitted. "He drove me here and he's probably gonna pick up the car now."

"What's your name?" the young woman asked with a kind disposition.

"Tori," she replied, then cursed for not giving a fake name, but she then berated herself for being so paranoid. Beck already knew her name and this town was that small so what did it matter. The woman nodded and introduced herself as Caterina, or Cat, as she was called by her friends. The woman owned this place with her boyfriend.

"I better be going," Tori smiled at the kind woman. She looked to be in her early twenties, but Tori wasn't going to be rude and ask. "I gotta check into the motel. I'm probably going to be here for a while, anyway, so maybe I'll look for a job."

"Hey, why don't you work here?" Cat offered. "I wouldn't mind and neither would my boyfriend. We're always looking for good hands." The red head was beaming and the brunette just couldn't say no to such an innocent face.

"Um, sure," Tori smiled and checked finding a job off of her mental checklist. "Thanks." She passed over a few bill to the woman, who shook her head and pushed them back.

"You'll start work tomorrow at 7pm, third shift." And, just like that, Tori was a hired waitress.

_I worked third shift at an all-night diner_

_Only stayed to save a little money_

_For enough gas_

_To make it to the East Coast_

"That'll be $8.50," Tori smiled at the couple as she checked her pad. The two elderly folk, Samantha Puckett and Freddie Benson, were just two of the many regulars that came to Rex's Diner. The two acted like they were at least sixteen and could never agree on what to order. Freddie handed her the cash and she smiled. "Thank you for eating at Rex's Diner and we hope to see you again." She had been saying those words for at least a month now and was no closer to getting enough cash to get to Florida.

A lot had happened in a month. The small town of Mason had accepted her with open arms and big smiles. After a while, Tori had moved in with Beck, who was her closest friend and the only person who knew her secret. Cat and her boyfriend Robbie came in close at sharing the second space on her list… but it still felt like something was missing.

Sam and Freddie were laughing as she finished saying those words and she knew exactly why. They would be back the next night at exactly the same time with the exact same order. "See you tomorrow, Tori," Freddie threw her a large tip and she beamed before hugging him tightly. Sam laughed lightly.

Tori had never known either set of grandparents; her mother's were dead and her father's didn't like either of them. She had met Sam and Freddie on her first night working and, since that night, they had kind of adopted her into their family. Sometimes she saw Stevie and Lulu, their twin daughters, having lunch with their spouses. It was nice to see such a big happy family and the hole in Tori's heart started to sew itself together a bit when they invited her over for Thanksgiving a week ago.

"Tori, table for two!" Cat shouted from the front. The brunette's feet were hurting and she hadn't got a good night sleep because Beck and his girlfriend Alyss were 'hanging out' in the next room. Rubbing her temple, she bid farewell to the elderly couple and walked over to the place where she could get two menus and looked up. What she saw made her freeze.

_That's when I saw_

_The brightest pair of deep blue eyes _

_Walking straight into my life_

_**Blue.**_

All she could see was blue: electric, sea, bay, calm ocean, baby boy… any kind of blue couldn't compare to what she was seeing now. It was like God took the same paint that he used for the sky and personally came down to paint this beautiful creature's eyes.

"F-follow m-me," she stuttered as she looked behind the gorgeous person to see a smirking Beck and she wanted to kick him where it hurt. She glared at him as she led the two to a table in her section before wandering over to Cat.

"Who's that?" she asked, pointing to the lovely person sitting across from Beck. Cat giggled, knowing what the bemused look on the brunette's face meant. "With Beck…"

"That's Jade," Cat smiled, "Jade West." Tori nodded, still in a daze.

"Oh," Tori blinked. Cat nodded. "Well, I'll get back to my job, then." With a small flush to her cheeks, she walked over to the table she had just seated.

"Hi, my name is Tori and I'll be your server tonight," she said with pep in her voice. Jade didn't look up from her menu but Beck smiled at her. "Hey, Beck."

"Hey, Tor," Beck smirked. She glared even more as he gestured with his eyes to Jade. "I think I'll have the usual."

"Okay," she giggled, rolling her eyes, and scribbled down Beck's name; Cat would know it stood for the double bacon and cheese burger with a big helping of sweet potato fries on the side. Then she turned to Jade and almost got lost in her eyes again. "And for you?" she asked, not a stutter in sight.

"Just a Caesar salad…" her voice was like a siren's and it shook the brunette to her very bones, but she didn't let that show. "Oh, and a Cola."

Tori nodded and collected the menus, careful not to touch the pale goddess as she took hers. Beck chuckled; Jade looked at him in confusion while Tori shot him a look that could kill. "I'll be right back with your drinks." She walked away as quick as her legs could carry her.

_And every night we talked_

_Til it became so clear_

"Funny seeing you here," a cold, snarky voice came from behind the brunette, who spun around to find herself face to face with blue eyes. "Oh, wait, you work here."

"Nice to see you too, Jade," Tori replied politely, just as she had been raised. "Would you like the usual?" Tori took out her weapon and, with a flourish, put pen to paper.

"I'm thinking about something different tonight," Jade smiled, leaning forward over the counter. "Sushi maybe?" she whispered the question into Tori's ear as the brunette knelt down to get her a new cup for Coke.

The breathy whisper made a shiver zip down her spine and her grip tightened on the cup she was holding, knuckles white. "Oh…" her voice shook with desire. "W-why are you h-here then?" She stood up and almost stumbled back when she saw how close their faces were. She could feel Jade's breath on her face and watched as her eyelids fluttered.

"Tori, your shift's over!" Cat shouted as she jumped up behind the kitchen window. When she saw what she had interrupted, she giggled. The girl smirking at the counter was exactly why she was giving the brunette the night off in the first place.

"I don't wanna go alone," Jade pouted, but Tori could see the mirth shining in her eyes. Rolling her own brown ones, Tori took off her greasy apron and held up the universal one moment sign. She walked down the back hall to change into casual clothes— a light blue tattoo T-shirt with green ivy curling up the front and slits cutting along her back, a light purple camisole underneath it, and whitewashed jeans to complete the outfit— before putting on the butterfly necklace Jade had bought her last week.

"Have fun, kiddo," Robbie waved to her as she exited and he entered the employee locker room. With a curly Jew-fro and black wide-rimmed glasses, Robbie filled the nerdy stereotype perfectly. Both he and Cat graduated from University of West Virginia— Cat for fashion and cooking, Robbie for money management. The two of them got along extremely well and Tori had yet to see the two actually get into an argument. "Just not… too much fun. If you know what I mean."

"Shut up, Rob," Tori cried, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "It's not like it's a date or anything…" Her voice trailed off; she and Jade had never gone out with each other alone, but every time someone else was with them. Cat was the most frequent but sometimes Beck managed to find the time.

"Okay," Robbie rolled his eyes as he watched the brunette walk away, fingering necklace hanging at her throat.

"Aren't they cute?" Cat asked as she wrapped her arms around Robbie's waist from behind, her forehead only reaching the middle of his back. "I always knew Jade was missing something." He could feel her smile.

"And Tori's the perfect way to patch the hole he left in her," Robbie mumbled as he turned around to kiss her softly. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

_And I could feel those dreams inside _

_Shifting gears_

_Cause love brought me here_

"Where does one get sushi around here, Jade?" Tori asked as she watched the raven haired girl maneuvered the car out of the Diner parking lot.

The Goth smiled but said nothing about food, instead saying, "You wanna turn on the radio?" Tori beamed and pressed the button. As soon as music spilled from the speakers, the brunette began to sing.

"I listen close for 'I'm not smart'. You wrap your thoughts in works of art.

And they're hanging on the walls of my heart," she sang, turning to place her hand on the pale one on the stick shift. Jade smiled softly.

"I may not have to softest touch," Jade sang back to her, "I may not say the words as such. And though I may not look like much…"

"I'm yours," Tori giggled.

"And though my edges may be rough. I feel I'm never quite enough," Jade looked back at the sadly. "I may not seem like very much… but I'm yours."

The Goth pulled into the parking lot at a restaurant Tori had never seen before. "Nozu?" the brunette asked, looking confused as the other girl parked and opened the door. "I didn't know this was here…"

"It's in the next town over," Jade stated as she opened the door for the brunette and they walked in. "Hey, Andre." Jade smiled as she waved to a dark skinned man, about Beck's age, standing behind the host's counter.

"Finally a table for two?" Andre asked, smiling wide as Jade introduced the girl standing next to her. The raven haired woman glared and the dark skinned man held up his hands.

"Just get us a table," Jade growled and Tori giggled behind her hand.

"What's your name?" Andre asked, directing his question at the brunette.

"Tori," she answered. "Tori Vega."

"I'm surprised that anyone's been able to tame the daemon." Andre beamed at Tori as Jade snarled behind them.

"You better watch it, Harris," Jade glared, "or you might be on the receiving end of this daemon's anger." The two walking in front of her only laughed and Tori reached back to grab Jade's hand, rubbing her thumb soothingly over the pale girl's knuckles.

"Have a great night," Andre smiled again at Tori before setting the menus down and leaving the two girls alone.

"He's weird," Jade looked over her shoulder, not seeing the brunette roll her eyes.

"But he's nice," Tori responded. "Anyway, how was your day?" The brunette took a sip of the water Andre had dropped off, picking the lemon out with her finger. Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head before opening the menu.

"Get anything you want, Vega," the raven haired girl told the brunette sitting across from her.

"But, Jade, it's so—," Tori started, biting her lip at the prices.

"I'm paying."

"Jade, I can't—."

"Vega, I'm paying and that's final."

Tori huffed. "Fine, but I'm buying dessert." A smile finally appeared on her face as Jade sighed and nodded her head.

"Okay, but we're not getting dessert now," the raven haired girl retorted and Tori flushed, red spreading across her face, and Jade laughed. "I love how I can make you blush so easily, Vega."

"Shut up!" Tori tapped Jade's arm lightly, more red spreading. The Goth just laughed.

"Are you ready to order?" Andre asked, taking out pen and paper. He turned to Jade and said, "I'm assuming you're getting your usual." Jade nodded. "Tori, what'll it be?"

"I think I'll have the Number 3 with a pink lemonade, please," she smiled sweetly and Andre nodded, taking both menus. Jade hadn't even picked hers up, Tori noticed, as she continued to watch the brunette.

"Be right back with your orders," Andre smiled as he walked away, shooting Jade a cheeky smile. The Goth just glared in return, until a warm hand covered her own and she looked down. A tan hand was a dark contrast against the paleness of her own skin and a ring sparkled on Tori's left ring finger, one Jade hadn't noticed before.

"What's with the ring?" Jade asked, rubbing her thumb over it softly. Tori coughed on her water and blinked but Jade didn't give up. "What's with the ring, Vega?" The tan Latina pulled her hand back and smoothed her own hand over the golden band.

"It was my mom's engagement ring," Tori admitted. "My dad gave it back to her when he left…" Jade realized the brunette looked like she was going to cry so she went around the table and sat on the booth, taking Tori into her lap. She rocked her back and forth softly, kissing her hair and forehead.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want," Jade spoke softly into her ear. The Latina shook her head and snuggled against Jade's side.

"I was four when it happened," Tori whispered. "There was so much yelling and glass shattering and overturned furniture… I couldn't stop him and neither could my mom."

"Why'd he leave?" Jade asked hesitantly.

"Because of me," Tori cried. Jade knew she needed to get the girl away from public eyes so she gestured to Andre to bring the food, set for takeout, to her car. They'd been friends for so long that he knew her car by sight. He nodded and waved her to go without paying; he would put it on her tab.

Slowly she helped Tori maneuver through the door and out to where her car sat darkly in the shade. They got into the back seat and Tori leaned against her.

"Okay, sweetie, tell me why you think it's your fault," Jade spoke as softly as she could, even inserting a name of endearment into the sentence, which she usually hated.

"My dad was what the stereotypes would call a 'typical surfer' or something like that," Tori started. "We looked nothing alike and he thought my mom had cheated on her with someone. She was completely faithful though, because, after he left, we did tests and they were both my parents genetically."

"So whatever he said or shouted, whatever he blamed you for, was a lie," Jade kissed the side of her head. "You were out on this earth for a reason, Vega."

"And what was that reason?" Tori breathed, looking up to see ocean blue-green eyes looking down at her, filled with so much of something she couldn't read.

"So I could love you," Jade whispered before she pressed her lips to Tori's for the first time. The brunette squeaked before grabbing the front of Jade's shirt, crumpling it in her fists, as both poured all of their love into the small gesture of intimacy.

_Mama said, "Home is where the heart is"_

_When I left that town_

"Hey, it's me, I just wanted to return your—," the voicemail only went halfway through before Tori speed dialed her mother's number.

"Hey, Mama!" the brunette beamed as she leaned against her kitchen counter. "It's so nice to hear from you."

"I miss my baby girl," Holly smiled on the other end of the line. "When're you coming to visit?"

"Mama!" Tori rolled her eyes and the woman across from her laughed. "I'm fine right where I am," she whispered as she placed her hand over the other woman's, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Tor, is everything alright, though?" her mother asked, worry seeping into her tone. "Do you have a job and a roof over your head?"

"Ma, I'm fine," Tori reassure her mother. "Actually, I'm more than fine."

"Tori, what aren't you telling me…" Holly drawled, trying to reel the secret from her only child. The brunette flushed and the woman across from her chuckled.

"Mom, you're going on speaker phone, okay?" the tan half-Latina announced, ignoring the shaking of the raven hair across from her. There was a muffled agreement and Tori pressed the button.

"Am I on?" Holly asked.

"Yeah," Tori nodded, then realized her mother couldn't see her. "Say hi to Jade."

"Hello, Jade," the older Vega's voice resounded through the room.

"Hello, Mrs. Vega," Jade's cheeks flushed as she glared at the half-Latina.

"Tori…" Jade could hear the warning tone in Mrs. Vega's voice as she said, "spill. Now."

"Mom, Jade is my…" she looked to Jade in confusion. They had never actually put a name to the type of relationship they had. They just went with it. Jade wasn't good at labeling- commitment issues, Tori would always say- and the brunette was scared of rejection.

"I'm Tori's very good friend, Mrs. Vega," Jade admitted, taking Tori's tan hand in her pale one, smiling at the stark contrast between them: like the sun and moon, the sky and sea, like fire and water.

"Oh," Holly sounded slightly disappointed until she came back swinging, "Tori, I have to meet this girl. I'm coming to visit!"

Tori groaned and placed her face on the hand Jade had taken. "Mom, you're embarrassing me!"

"No, I think it's cute," Jade chuckled and leaned over the table to kiss her cheek. "I would love to meet you, Mrs. Vega."

"Don't call me Mrs. Vega," Tori could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "It makes me sound old."

"But you are old," Tori giggled. Jade smacked her arm and she yelped. The raven haired girl kissed her again.

"Girls, you better not be doing anything any mother wouldn't approve of…" Holly said in a warning tone. Tori flushed while Jade just laughed loudly.

"God, Mrs.- Holly, you don't leave anything out do you," the pale siren grinned and Tori just began to turn redder and redder.

"Mom, Jade and I need to go," Tori said through gritted teeth. Holly shouted a goodbye before the dial tone rang.

"Your mom is awesome!" Jade beamed.

"_Never_ speak of it," Tori mumbled.

_I made it all the way to West Virginia_

_And that's where my heart found_

_Exactly where I'm supposed to be_

_It didn't take much time_

"Hey," the siren's voice whispered as she sat down on the damp grass. Tori stirred, blinking sleep from her eyes as she looked up into blue.

"Hi," the brunette smiled. "What's up?" She turned to the side, leaning on the palm of her hand as she watched as the raven haired girl lay down beside her.

"I don't know," Jade snarked and Tori couldn't help but giggle. "Not much, I guess." Her face seemed to glow in the moonlight and Tori felt at peace with the world.

"Jade?" Tori's questioning tone made the pale girl's gaze rest on her instead of the stars, sitting up on her elbows to look down at the other girl. A long finger reached out to follow a few stray strands of brown down the length of the tan girl's neck.

"Hmm…" Jade hummed in response.

"What are we?" Tori asked, taking Jade's hand from her neck and intertwined their fingers. "What are we doing?" Her whispered question was so quiet that the pale girl had to lean close to hear it. Warm breath brushed over her ear and she shivered.

Instead of answering, Jade reached down with her other hand and traced tan features, rubbing Tori's jaw softly with her thumb before cupping her chin in her hands. "I don't know," Jade whispered softy. Tori sat up and cuddled into the dark clothes adorning the pale girl's body, breathing in the citrus scent that Jade wore like a blanket. "What do you want to be?" The question shook Tori to the core.

"I just wanna be with you," Tori whispered as she closed the space between them. Jade's lips were soft on her own and she could feel the dark haired girl tangle her hands in her hair. Jade's scent surrounded her as the girl lay down in the grass, pulling Tori closer to her. The Goth bit her lip and Tori made a soft noise in the back of her throat as Jade pulled away. Jade could see a small tear slide down her chin.

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

"You okay?" Jade asked, one hand resting on her hip and the other on her thigh. The brunette was breathing heavily, trying to get her breath back after the fireworks-filled kiss. "Babe?" Tori nuzzled the Goth's neck, her breath evening out.

"Jade, can we stay like this forever?" Tori asked, breath like dragon's fire against the pale neck.

Jade chuckled and it reverberated around Tori's whole being. She wrapped her arms around Tori's tan waist, her chin resting on the top of the brunette's head. "I'm leaving in three days, Vega," the Goth whispered sadly. "This is really important to me."

Tori looked up, brown eyes lit up with passion by the moon. "I know," she whispered, tracing patterns on the pale skin of Jade's stomach where her shirt had ridden up slightly. "I'm going to miss you, though…" Another tear dripped down her cheek and onto Jade's skin. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"And I, you," Jade whispered, leaning down to kiss the next tear that fell down Tori's high cheek bone. "But I need to do this. I'll be back before you know it."

"It's six months, Jade!" Tori shouted, clenching her fist and leaving half-moon indents on her palm. "I don't think I can wait six months to see you again." The brunette buried her face in the pale girl's neck again, more tears falling.

"Let's just enjoy the last few days, okay?" Jade asked softly, running her fingers through Tori's silky locks of brown.

"Okay," Tori whimpered before she reached up to reacquaint Jade's mouth with hers.

_And I'm standing in my veil_

_About to say I do_

_As Mama smiles_

_With teardrops in her eyes_

(Two Years Later…)

Tori beamed at the raven haired woman standing across from her, their hands intertwined between them. She bit her lip as she examined the beauty before her. Dressed in a dark blue, almost black, feminine tuxedo with a lily pinned to her lapel, she looked absolutely stunning. Jade had picked her flower while Tori had her own. Her raven hair framed her face, pinned back by a small spider clip Tori had bought her when they visited a street fair in Berkley, California after visiting her mother. Her smile was stained red as the dark 'Blood Stain' lipstick painted them. With little to no makeup on, Jade still looked like a silent beauty, green eyes sparkling with rare happiness.

Someone chuckled behind the brunette and Tori spun around to face her best friend. Beck Oliver had grudgingly accepted her offer to be her Maid of Honor on the terms that she called him her Best Man instead. Jade had had the same predicament with Andre, but she didn't mind. Beck was dressed in grey slacks and a light blue button down shirt, an iris pinned onto his own lapel. His unruly long brown hair had been combed through several times by Cat, who stood behind him in a light pastel blue one-shoulder dress. She had a wreath of daises in her hair and her long red locks hung down, swept to the side to show her shining brown eyes. Standing across from her was her husband, Robbie, who smiled and readjusted his glasses.

"You doing alright, Tor?" Beck whispered in her ear. She nodded, her face hurting from all of the smiling she could not stop. Jade rolled her eyes and scoffed quietly. She examined the brunette beauty before her. Her body was wrapped in a soft silky material. It had a blue top with what looked like ripples of water and if Jade looked closely enough, it looked like blue snowflakes were dripping onto the skirt in delicate placement. Tori looked at her with loving brown eyes framed by luscious brown hair.

"Do you, Victoria Marie Vega, take Jaden Elizabeth West to be your wife?" the preacher asked, going through all of the usual wedding vow questions.

Tori's eyes scanned Jade's, her smile as wide as the sky. "I do," she answered, squeezing Jade's hands in hers.

"And Jaden Elizabeth West, do you take-" the preacher started before Jade cut in.

"I do," she whispered, wanting to get over all of the stupid words and nonsense so she could kiss her soon to be wife. The preacher, a close family friend of Jade's mother, rolled his eyes and smiled at the rest of the crowd.

"I now pronounce you married," the pastor announced, hardly finished speaking when Jade surged forward, gently cupped Tori's chin in her hands, and kissed her softly. People all through the room sighed. Sitting beside Rex, Robbie's older brother and the original owner of the diner, was Tori's mother. She had tears in her eyes at the sight of her little girl being so happy.

_And then I realize_

_There's something Mama always knew_

_Love is what I really left to find_

"I'm so proud of you," Tori was pulled into a giant hug from her mother at the reception. Spinning around, she hugged her mother back just as tightly. "I knew you'd find it."

Tori blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, Mom?" she asked.

Holly rolled her eyes at her clueless daughter. "I knew you didn't leave for the change of scenery, Tor! You left to find love. It was fate that your car broke down here."

"So you're saying you knew I left to find love and you didn't tell me?" Tori asked, eyes narrowed. Holly nodded.

"If I told you then you wouldn't have found it on your own now would you," she smiled at her daughter as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ears. "Now, I think someone wants to dance with you."

Tori beamed and spun around to meet her dance partner, only to find Beck shooting her a look she didn't understand.

"Wanna dance?" he asked. She nodded with a sigh, eyes downcast. "Why so sad, Tor? It's your wedding day!"

"Because Jade hasn't asked me for a single dance," Tori whined. "I know it's insignificant and I shouldn't care so much but I do and-" The brunette flushed when she realized she was rambling. Beck chuckled.

"Tor, I understand," he soothed her with a hand rubbing her arm. "But maybe Jade's just as nervous as you are." He looked over her shoulder at the flushed raven haired girl dancing with Andre. She was refusing to meet his eyes. "Give her some time, okay?" Tori nodded.

"I will, but if she doesn't ask me by the time we get food, I'm gonna-"

_She said, "Home is where the heart is"_

_When I left that town_

Tori was cut off when a pale hand reached out to grab her from her dance partner. "Mind if I cut in?" Jade asked, her husky tone making Tori shiver. Beck whispered an 'I told you so' in her ear and she glared at him before being swept off her feet by her new wife.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the raven haired woman asked as she saw the pout on Tori's face. The brunette shook her head and beamed.

"I was just bein' a child," Tori answered, "but I'm fine now." Jade nodded, satisfied, and Tori buried her face in the crook of her wife's neck, taking in the citrus and the natural scent of the person she wanted to wake up next to every morning. "Cause I've got you in my arms."

"You're such a sap, Vega," Jade rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Tori's waist as the brunette's arm rose to drape themselves around her shoulders. In the background, soft music started playing what Tori liked to call their song' although Jade disagreed and said they don't have a song.

"Jade, this is our song!" Tori beamed as she spun the taller girl around, humming under her breath.

"Vega, just because you say it's our song doesn't make it _our_ song," Jade retorted, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched Tori start to sing.

"Jade, you wanted our song to be Walk Away by The Script," Tori shot Jade a look. "I think I'm Yours by the exact same band is much better."

"Vega, the song I picked makes more sense because it's true," Jade looked down. Andre, who was DJing at the time, put on Walk Away and Tori stepped back, shaking her head. Robbie threw Jade the mic and the raven haired girl began to sing.

_**I don't know why she's with me  
I only brought her trouble since the day she met me  
If I was her, by now, I would've left me  
I woulda walked away**_

_**But now I broken the way  
But still somehow she forgive me  
She said a woman gotta do what she got to  
Even if it means she denying herself the truth  
Cause when you in too deep you wake up it's too late  
Fallin in love in the worst way  
**_

_**And if you don't go now, then you stay  
Cause I'll never let you leave  
Never let you breath  
Cause if you looking for heaven **_

_**Baby, it sure as hell ain't me**_

Tori watched Jade with confusion written on her face as the other woman let Andre rap the chorus. "Jade, what are you talking about?" she whispered. Beck, seeing her brown eyes brimming with tears, quickly grabbed her hand as the singer continued to the second verse.

_**She's standing in the heart of darkness  
Saying "I know you got a soul even though your heartless"  
How could any woman in her right mind  
Be so blind, to finding something to say**_

_**Instead of walking to me she shoulda (walked away)  
She finds color in the darkest places  
She finds beauty in the saddest of places  
She's such a beautiful, head strong city girl  
Coulda had the world**_

_**But ya falling in love in the worst way  
And if you don't go now, then you stay  
Cause I'll never let you leave  
Never let you breath  
Cause if you looking for heaven**_

_**Baby, it sure as hell ain't me**_

Tori lunged at Jade before she could sing another line and pressed their lips together. She poured passion and love into the kiss and tried to prove to Jade she was not as dark as she thought.

_I made it all the way to West Virginia_

_And that's where my heart found_

_Exactly where I'm supposed to be_

_It didn't take much time_

"Jade, how could you say those things about yourself?" Tori asked later that night as she stood by their bedside in the honeymoon suite in Honolulu. The waves crashed against the shore in the background and the raven haired beauty found the sound oddly comforting. "That is definitely the worst thing about you."

Jade's head shot up, eyes wide and hurt. "What do you mean, Vega?" she snarled. This is not how she planned her wedding night to go. She wanted to lie in bed and just cuddle after finally expressing their love. She didn't expect an argument.

"That you can't accept the fact that I love you no matter what," Tori cried, a tear slipping down her cheek. Jade reached out and wiped it off with the pad of her thumb. "I hate how you're so insecure about what we have." She shook her head, brown hair creating a curtain around her face, and Jade sighed.

"Tori, I've always been like this," Jade admitted. "Before you I dated this guy. He's mostly the reason I'm so insecure now." Her throat closed up and she choked on a sob.

"Jade, you can tell me when you're-" Tori started but Jade cut her off.

"He would always put me down," she explained. "He would never say I was pretty or beautiful. He told me I can't sing to save my life and all my friends just hung out with me because they pitied me."

"Jade, stop…" Tori tried to call her back from wherever she had gone, someplace deep into her obviously battered mind that the brunette couldn't reach. "Jade, please come back to me."

Jade blinked and looked up to see Tori kneeling down in front of her, brown eyes shining with worry. The brunette had changed out of her dress and into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt of Jade's she'd never given back. Jade sighed. "I'm sorry," the pale woman whispered as Tori took her cheek in her palm. "He was such a big, yet horrible part of my life that I never really got over the insecurities he left me scared with." Tori nodded.

"Well, I love you because of all of your imperfections, Jade," Tori whispered as she knelt on the floor. "Even these." Tori rolled up the sleeve of Jade's dress shirt and her fingers tiptoed over faded white lines marking self-harm Jade had only been able to stop after Tori had told her to.

"Tori…" Jade whispered. Tori stopped her with a kiss and the two fell back into love previously put off by a whispered past.

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

_It's just south of the Mason Dixon line_

"Are you serious about this?" Jade asked, looking skeptical as she watched Tori pull the large animal into their two story town house. "Where is _it_ going to sleep?" The small bundle jumps at the raven haired girl, surprising strength for one so small.

"_It_ has a name, Jade," Tori rolled her eyes as she handed Jade the leash. "I'll bring in rest of the stuff and we can set him up in the laundry room." She didn't wait for an answer; instead she turned on her heel and walked back outside to the car. The small mammal and Jade stared at each other, one with head cocked to the side and the other with a scathing glare. "Jade, stop scaring him!" Tori reprimanded, putting the large bag of food down in the kitchen.

"Storm, come here," she pat her knee and the animal rushed over, pulling Jade along. "Good boy."

"Cliché, Vega, real cliché," Jade rolled her eyes and Tori scoffed. "Couldn't you think of something better?"

"His full name is Stormbringer but I'm calling him Storm for short," Tori retorted. "So don't judge him." Jade just rolled her eyes and the two proceeded to set up a place for their new family member.

_Mama said, "Home is where the heart is"_

_(Just south of the Mason Dixon line)_

"Get him off of me!" Jade cried as her black camisole was drenched and covered in bubbles. "He's like two tons of stink."

Tori giggled, pulling on Storm's collar so that he would back up, allowing Jade to stand once again. "Jade, you're covered in bubbles," she laughed.

"Damn you, Storm," Jade growled as she went to attack the dog, which barked and jumped away as she slipped into the bubble filled tub. Tori almost burst into tears she was laughing so hard. Storm, not being one to be left out of the party, jumped into the large bathtub beside Jade, splashing both of his owners in the process.

"I'm gonna need a shower when this is over," Jade complained as she wiped at her face with a clean hand. "I mean, whose idea was it to wash the dog in our master bath."

"It was your idea, love," Tori giggled, helping Jade to stand before Storm hopped out of the tub. "And by the way, we'll both be needing a shower after this." Jade smirked and Tori giggled. They finally managed to shove the male back into the tub, rinse him off, and towel-dry him.

"Good boy, Storm," Tori patted his head and he licked her cheek. As soon as he exited the room, Jade slammed it shut and walked over to Tori with a sway of her hips. "Jade, we still need to clean up…"

"Mmmmhhhhhm," Jade smirked, making Tori shiver.

"Jade, we seriously need to-" but she was cut off as Jade took over her ability to think and they lost themselves in love. Tori's heart almost exploded because, maybe, her mother was right. _Home _is_ where the heart is, _she thought, a smile forming on her lips as she wrapped her arms around her wife.

_Mama said, "Home is where the heart is"_

_(Just south of the Mason Dioxin line)_

**So this is my first Jori story. I usually don't ship same-sex couples, but after reading so many great stories, I had to give it a try. The song is _Home Is Where The Heart Is_ by Lady Antebellum. The song that Tori and Jade sing in the car is called _I'm Yours_ by The Script and the song in bold, which Jade sings to Tori, is called _Walk Away _by The Script.**

**Please review and tell me how I did because I'm not really sure if this story even turned out to be okay. Tori and Cat's dresses are on my profile along with Jade's suit and the Great Dane puppy. Please review!  
**


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